I was fortunate to see whooping cranes for the first time recently. As the sun was setting, three took to the air, circled, passed right overhead, and honked--close enough to hear their wing beats.

In the 1980s, my biology professor used them as an example of a species about to go extinct--he wasn't optimistic as to their fate. By 1860, their numbers had dropped to 1400. By 1942, there were 16--all in one Texas population. Today, there are ~536 in Texas and ~800 total.
#NaturalHistory #Nature